Darkness pressed in from all sides, thick and suffocating. Noah felt as though he were sinking into a bottomless void. His chest burned, and his limbs refused to move. Faint whispers floated in the distance—his name spoken again and again in voices that ranged from mocking to pleading.
"Noah Carter... Remember."
He wanted to scream, but no sound came. A blinding flash of light erupted before him, and suddenly, the darkness shattered like glass.
Noah gasped and opened his eyes.
The forest was eerily still, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves above. His head pounded, and his vision swam as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. The two figures from earlier stood a few feet away, their crimson eyes glowing like embers.
"Welcome back, brother," one of them said.
Noah stared at them, his mind racing. "Brother? What the hell are you talking about?"
The taller of the two stepped forward. He had sharp, aristocratic features and short, dark hair that looked too perfect for someone standing in the middle of a forest. His black coat billowed slightly in the breeze.
"You really don't remember anything, do you?" the man said, almost disappointed. "Typical. Father always was thorough with his spells."
"Who are you?" Noah demanded, his voice hoarse.
"I'm Castor," the man said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "And this is Finn. We're your brothers."
Noah's gaze darted to the second figure. Finn was leaner, with silvery hair that fell into his cold, piercing blue eyes. Unlike Castor, he seemed uninterested in the conversation, his arms crossed and his expression distant.
"You're insane," Noah said, stumbling to his feet. His legs wobbled, but he forced himself to stand. "I don't have brothers."
Castor chuckled, a low, almost menacing sound. "Oh, you do. You've just forgotten. Courtesy of our dear old dad."
Noah's head throbbed as flashes of something—memories?—flickered at the edges of his mind. He saw glimpses of a grand, dark castle; blood-soaked battlefields; a man with piercing golden eyes.
"What did you do to me?" Noah growled, his voice trembling.
"We didn't do anything," Finn said, finally speaking. His voice was cold and clipped, like he couldn't be bothered to waste words. "We just... unlocked what was already there."
"What's already there?"
Castor's smirk widened. "Your true self."
Noah took a shaky step back. "I don't know what kind of sick game this is, but I'm done. Stay the hell away from me."
Before he could turn to run, Castor's hand shot out, faster than humanly possible, and grabbed his wrist.
"You can run, Noah, but you can't escape what you are," Castor said, his voice low and dangerous. "You're one of us—a half-vampire, half-god hybrid. The most powerful being this world has ever seen."
Noah's breath caught in his throat. "You're lying."
Finn snorted. "You think we'd go to all this trouble if we were lying? Look inside yourself. You can feel it, can't you? The power."
"No..." Noah shook his head, but even as he denied it, something stirred within him—a deep, primal energy that sent a shiver down his spine.
"You're waking up, brother," Castor said, releasing his wrist. "Soon, you'll remember everything. And when you do, you'll realize where you truly belong."
"I don't belong anywhere near you!" Noah snapped, backing away.
Castor's smirk vanished, replaced by a flicker of irritation. "You're going to regret those words."
"Enough," Finn said sharply, stepping between them. He shot Castor a cold look before turning to Noah. "Go, if you want. But don't think this is over. The world won't wait for you to figure things out, and neither will we."
Without another word, Finn and Castor disappeared into the shadows, moving so quickly they seemed to vanish into thin air.
Noah stood frozen, his heart hammering in his chest. He had no idea what had just happened, but one thing was clear: his life would never be the same.